Airship.



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AIRSHIP APPLICATION FILED IAN- 4 19|?.-

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AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.4,19|7.

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WIYNIESS mf/WM INVENTOFI.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

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ERNESTIJ. SONS, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'I'O SAMUEL A. BOYD, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

AIRSHIP.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST L. SONS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Airships, of which the following is a specifi-` cation.

This invention relates to air ships and has for its object to provide a vessel of such type, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, capable of being propelled, as well as lifted, by the discharge of air respectively against a series of depending inclined abutments and the top wall of the body of the vessel.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air ship', in ,a Vmanner as `hereinafter Set forth, with sets of sustaining propellers for the purpose of gradually low ering the vessel when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air ship with a suction device, which during the travel of the vessel, will suck in air to be discharged against a series of inclined abutments for the pur-pose of propelling a vessel. l

A further object of the invention is to provide an air ship which is com aratively simple in its construction an arrangement, strong, durable, eiiicient, and comparatively inexpensive to set up.

With the vforegoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arran ement of parts, as hereinafter more speci cally de scribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several viewsz- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an air ship in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a frontview.

Fig. 3 is a detail in plan.

Fig. 4 is an end view of one of the air ejectors showing two positions thereof, one in full and the other in dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of an ejector.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 191W..

Application led January 4, 1917. Serial No. 140,514.

Fig. 6 .is a front View of an ejector. Referring to the drawings in detail 1 denotes the bottom of the bodyvportion and 2 the top which is segmental in contour. Each and 6 and the rear sections at 7, 8, and 9;

The sections of each abutment incline downwardly and in opposite directions with respect to each other. At the forward end of the top portion 2 a downwardly and rearwardly extending abutment 10 is arranged and at the rear of said top portion a downwardly and forwardlyl inclined abutment 11.

is positioned.

Projecting at right angles from each side of the body portion of the vessel and arranged forwardly of, the transverse center of the said body portion, is what is termed a side plane and each of said side planes consists of a frame formed of a solid segmental top 12, bottom 13 and sides formed of a plurality of uprights/14 which connect the top 12 to the bottom 13. Secured to and projecting from each side of the body portion is a rod 15 which constitutes a hanger support for a pair of vertically disposed shafts 16, 17, each of which carries near its upper end a sustaining propeller 18 and at its lower end, below the bottom 13, a sustaining propeller 19. The shafts 16, 17, extend down through the bottom 13 and each of them in proximity to said bottom 13 has a beveled gear wheel 20.

Mounted upon the bottom 13 are supports 21 for a counter-shaft 22 having each of its ends provided with a beveled gear 23 and these gears mesh with the beveled gears 20 causing thereby the driving of the shaft 17 whenthe shaft 16 is operated.

The shaft 16 is operated by a transmission shaft 24, carrying a beveled gear 25 which meshes with the beveled gear 20 of the shaft 16. Mounted upon the transmission shaft 24 is a clutch member 26 adapted to be engaged by the clutch member 27 carried by the shaft 28 of a motor 29. A clutch operating device, for the member 27, is indicated at 30.

Two motors are employed and one is indicated at 29 and the other at 31. The shaft 28 of the motor 31 is extended on both sides of said motor and that extension of the shaft 28 which is not provided with the clutch member 27 is indicated at 32 and provided with a beveled gear 33 for a purposev to be presently referred to.

Depending from the bottom 1 of the body portion, near the forward end thereof, is a suction chamber 34 having an inlet opening 35 and arranged at the said opening 35 is a. suction fan 36, which is carried by a longitudinally extending shaft 37 supported in the hanger 38. Depending from the bottom 1 is a pair of hangers 39, 40, which support shafts 41, provided at one end with a clutch member 42 and its other end with a clutch member 43. The member 42 is adapted to engage with the clutch member 44 carried by the shaft 37 for driving the latter, causing thereby the operation of the suction fan 36.

Extending downwardly through the bottom 1 is a vertically disposed shaft 45 which also extends through a bearing arm 46 projecting from the hanger 39. The shaft 45, on its upper end, is provided with a beveled gear 47 which meshes with a beveled gear 33 causing thereby the drive of the shaft 45 from the motor 31. The lower end of the shaft 45 has a beveled gear 48 which meshes with the beveled gears 49 and 50 carried by the shaft 41. The beveled gear 48 engaging with the gears 49 and 5() will drive the shafts 41 and when the shaft 37 is clutched to the forward shaft 41 it will be driven from said shaft 41. l Depending from the bottom 1 are hangers 51, 52, for supporting a rearwardly extending longitudinal shaft 53, having a clutching member 54 adapted to be engaged'by the clutch member 43 whereby the-shaft 53 will be driven from the rear shaft 41. The rear end of the shaft 53 has a propeller 55.

The rear end of the chamber 34, which provides a suction member, is contracted as 5(1, at 56 and communicating with said contracted ends are vertically disposed pipes 57, and 58. Communicating with the chamber 34 are vertically disposed pipes 59 and 60.

The upper end of each of said conducting pipes is semi-spherical in contour as at 60', and seated in said end is the spherical lower end 61 of an enlarged ejector 62 which extends transversely with respect to the body portion of the vessel. The spherical lower end 61 of the ejector, in connection with the semi-spherical upper end of the conducting` pipe, provides what may be termed a swivel joint. Extending up through the upper end of each of said conducting pipes and connected to the spherical lower end 61 of the ejector is a shaft 63, having one end bent downwardly at an angle, as at 64, formed with a fork 65. The shaft 63 pivots in the enlarged upper end of the conducting pipe whereby when the shaft 63 is actuated the ejector can be shifted to the position desired and maintained in such position.

rIhe reference character 66 denotes a shift rod, which is pivotally connected as at 67, to the fork 65 of each shaft 63. The shift rod 66 extends longitudinally of the body portion of the vessel and is provided with a depending-handle 68 so that the shaft can be shifted in a convenient manner. j

The conducting pipe 57 extends in a plane between the abutment 11 and section 7 of an inverted V-shaped abutment. The conducting pipe 58 extends in a plane between the sections 4 and 8 of a pair of inverted V- shaped abutments. The pipe 59 extends in a plane between the sections 5 and 9 of two inverted `Vshaped abutments, and the pipe 60 extends in a plane between the sections 6 of an inverted V-shaped abutment and the abutment 10.

The ejectors are capable of being shifted so as to extend in a vertical direction whereby the air discharged therefrom will be against the lower face .of the top 2 of the body portion and cause the vessel to rise. l

The ejectors can be shifted in a position so that the air will be directed between the sections 7, 8 and 9 of the abutments and also against the abutment 10 causing the vessel to move forwardly. lf the ejectors are shifted to the position shown in Fig. 1 the air will be directed against the abutment 11 and the sections 4, 5, and 6 of the inverted V-shaped abutments causing the vessel to travel rearwardly.

The sustaining propellers are not only utilized to cause the gradual lowering of the vessel, but also as a steering means for the reason when one set of sustaining propellers are operated andthe other set inactive the machine will be steered in a direction desired.

Depending from the forward portion of the body 1 is a pair of hangers 69 for a front axle 70 whichis provided with a pair of wheels 71. Depending from the rear of the bottom 1 is a pair of closely arranged hangers 72, 73, provided at the lower ends thereof with an axle 74which carries a rear wheel 75. A brace 76 is arranged at the rear of the body portion for the hangers 72, 73.

Depending from the rear end of the top 2 of the body portion is a hanger 77 for the rear portion of the shaft 53.

Each of the sustaining propellers is constructed so that it will fold up when not in use.

What I claim is r- 1. An air ship comprising a body portion having thetop thereof constituting a central plane, spaced abutments depending from said plane, a suction device, means for receiving air sucked in by said device, ejectors communicating with said means for directing air against said abutments to propel the ship, and operating means for said suction device, and means whereby said ejectors can be adjusted to direct the air against the' rear of a forward face of each of said. abutments.

2. n air ship comprising a body portion having the top thereof constituting a central plane, spaced abutments depending from said plane, a suction device, means for receiving air sucked in by said device, ejectors communicating with said means for directing air against said abutments to propel the ship, and operating means for said suction devices, side planes projecting laterally from said body portion, sustaining propellers arranged below said side planes, and means for throwing into operation said sustaining propellers.

3. An air ship comprising a body portion having the top thereof constituting a centrai plane, spaced abutments depending from said plane, a suction device, means for receiving air sucked in by said device, ejectors communicating with said meansv for directing air against said abutments to-propel the ship, and operating means for said suction device, side planes projecting laterally from said body portion, sustaining propel- 1ers arranged below said side planes, and means for throwing into operation said sustaining propellers, and means for adjusting said ejectors whereby the air can be discharged at the rear of the forward faces of said abutments.

e. An air ship comprising a body portion provided with abutments, and means for directing an air current against said .abutments to propel the ship, sustaining propellers disposed laterally with respect to said body portion, and means for throwing into operation said sustaining propellers.

5. An air ship comprising a body portion provided with abutments, an air chamber, a ,suction device for supplying air to said chamber, conducting pipes for `discharging air from said chamber, an ejector head mounted in each of said pipes for directing the air against the abutments for propelling the ship, and means for adjusting said ejectors whereby the air can be directed against the forward or rear face of the abutments.

6. An air ship comprising a body portion provided with abutments, an air chamber, a suction device for supplying air to said chamber, conducting pipes for discharging air from said chamber, an ejector head mounted in each of said pipes for directing the air against the abutments for propelling the ship, and means for adjusting said ejectors whereby the air can be directed against the forward or rear face of the abntments` side planes projecting laterally from said body portion, and a setof sustaining propellers arranged below each of said side planes.

7. An air ship comprising a body portion provided with abutments, an air chamber, a suction device for supplying air to said chamber, conducting pipes for discharging air from said chamber, an ejector head mounted in each of said pipes for directing the air against the abutments for propelling the ship, and means for adjusting said ejectors whereby the air can be directed against the forward or rear face of the abutments` side planes projecting` laterally from said body portion, and a set of sustaining propellers arranged below each of said side planes, and means for independently throwing into operation each set of sustaining propellers.

8. An air ship comprising a body portion having the top thereof constituting a central plane, invertedV-shaped deflectors depending from said top, an air chamber arranged below said body portion, a suction device for drawing air into said chamber, operating means for said device, conducting pipes communicating with said chamber for discharging air therefrom, and ejectors mounted in said pipes for directing the air against said abutments to propel the ship.

9. An air ship comprising a body portion having the top thereof constituting a central plane, inverted V-shaped deflectors depending from said top, an air chamber arranged below said body portion, a suction device for drawing air into said chamber, operating means for said device, conducting pipes communicating with said chamber for discharging air therefrom, ejectors mounted in said pipes for directing the air against said abutments to propel the ship, and a propeller arranged at the rear of said body portion.

10. An air ship comprising a body portion having the top thereof constituting a central plane, inverted V-shaped delectors depending from said top, an air chamber arranged below said body portion, a suction device for drawing air into said chamber, operating means for said device, conducting pipes communicating with said chamber discharging air therefrom, ejecters mounted in said pipes for directing the air against said abutments to propel the ship, and a propeller arranged at the rear of said bbdy portion, side planes projecting laterally from said body portion, a set of sustaining propellers arranged below each of said side planes, and means for independently operating said sets of sustaining propellers.

1l. An air ship comprising a body portion having the top thereof constituting a cenlli) tral plane, inverted V-shaped deiiectors depending from said top, an air chamber arranged below said body portion, a suction device for drawing air into said chamber, operating means for said device, conducting pipes communicating with said chamber for discharging air therefrom, ejectors mounted in said pipes for directing the air against said abutments to propel the ship, and a propeller arranged at the rear of said body portion, side planes projecting laterally from said body portion, a set of sustaining propellers arranged below each of said side planes, meansfor independently operating said sets of sustaining Propellers, and means 15 ERNEST L. SONS.

Witnesses: l

LUnLm H. SIMON, B. E. JENKINS. 

